Lamp mount



Dec. 21, 1965 1.. s. PENDELL 3,225,139

LAMP MOUNT Filed Oct. 15, 1962 INVENTOR.

Mzmg fi. Ply/05.44.

United States Patent Office 3,225,189 Patented Dec. 21, 1965 3,225,189 LAMP MOUNT Larry S. Pendell, Eikhart, Ind., assignor to Key Machine Tool Corporation, Elkhart, End, a corporation of Indiana Filed Oct. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 230,660 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-90) This invention relates to improvements in lamp mounts, and more particularly to lamp mounts of motor vehicles, such as trucks and semi-trailers.

Trucks and semi-trailers commonly employ lights in large numbers to meet Interstate Commerce Commission regulations and state laws and regulations. customarily, these lights are mounted in cup-shaped metal members with out-turned marginal flanges for securing the same by nuts and bolts or other securing means to a support, and having a tubular socket therein communicating with an opening through which wire may be run for connection to a light bulb. The light bulb is commonly mounted in the housing in a socket of the bayonet slot type requiring combined rotative and axial movement of the bulb to mount the bulb and to dismount it. The cupshaped member is closed by a lens anchored in place by securing means, such as machine screws for anchoring a bezzle or like member. The metal construction is subject to vibration which results in rapid deterioration of the filament of the light bulb so that frequent replacement of light bulbs is required, and such replacement can be accomplished only by manipulating the securing screws or other securing means which anchor the lens, thus constituting a time-consuming operation.

Metal lamp mounts are also subject to exposure to snow melting mediums used upon highways to melt ice in winter weather. Calcium chloride is commonly used as a snow melting medium, and metal lamp mounts are subject to the entry of the calcium chloride through the socket around the wires and into the light bulb housing. This produces corrosion of all parts of the unit and bonding of the light bulb socket to the housing and coating of the interior of the housing. The adhesion or bonding action so produced makes it diflicult to remove the lens, and also to remove the light bulb from its socket without breakage. If breakage occurs, it may be necessary to replace an entire light assembly whenever failure occurs, but even this can be difficult because lamp mounts available may differ from those originally installed. For example, a light mount having three holes for anchoring the same might have been used in the original equipment, whereas a supply house may have available only a lamp mount having four holes spaced differently than the holes in the three hole unit.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a lamp mount which eliminates the difliculties and problems above mentioned.

A further object is to provide a resilient lamp mount which may be easily installed in a vehicle and in which a lamp bulb can in turn be easily installed with a sealed fit to prevent the entry of corrosive materials and to accommodate the absorption of road shock.

A further object is to provide a lamp mount formed of resilient material mounting a lamp unit therein constrictively and resiliently and in a manner to accommodate movement of the lamp unit incident to pressure thereagainst so as to avoid breaking of the lamp unit and to facilitate return of the lamp unit to its normal sealed mounting position upon release of pressure thereagainst.

A further object is to provide a device of this character formed of elastomeric material having a groove in its margin fitting around a support at an opening thereof,

wherein marginal lips or beads define a narrow groove mouth and accommodate supports of a. wide range of thicknesses.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is resistant to abrasion.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a rear or inner view of the lamp mount with parts broken away;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a modified embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional View similar to FIG. 2, illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is an inner face view of the lampcarrying unit of the construction illustrated in FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 10 designates a sealed beam light unit of conventional construction and having the usual filament or other light emission means (not shown). The unit 10 is characterized by a sealed envelope of which a part 12 forms a lens and is further characterized by a marginal or circumferential flange 14 at the large diameter part thereof. The unit 10 has the usual electrical terminals 16 at which insulated lead wires 18 are connected to form parts of the lighting circuit of the vehicle. The sealed beam unit 10 may also have the usual marginal projection 20 at the flange 14 thereof for orienting the position thereof as installed.

The mounting member comprises a flexible resilient cup-shaped body 22 of rubber or other elastomeric material, such as synthetic resin or syntheticrubber. The body 22 has a circumferential enlargement 24 at its mouth or open end in which is formed an internal circumferential groove 26 substantially parallel to said mouth and of a size and shape to constrictively and sealingly receive the marginal portion of the sealed beam unit 10 therein. The groove 26 will preferably have a contour or cross-sectional configuration conforming with the contour of the margin portion 14 of the sealed beam unit and including an inwardly projecting marginal lip 28 at the mouth of the cup-shaped member 22. The enlargement 24 prefer-ably has an edge of V-shaped in sec tion defined by a beveled edge portion 3th at the front of the lip 2.8 and an oppositely beveled edge portion 32 which terminates in a circumferential integral bead portion 34. The bead 34 defines a marginal lip at the front wall of a circumferential outer groove 36 which is preferably undercut at 38 and which is adjacent and substantially parallel to groove 26 and in substantially the plane of said groove 26 whereby said groove is separated by a wall of substantially the thickness of the cup-forming body 22. The rear wall of the groove 36 is defined by a flange 40 of larger diameter than the beaded part 34 and in turn terminates in a bead 42 projecting forwardly from the remainder of the flange 40. Bead 42 cooperates with bead 34 to define a narrow mouth of the groove 36 opening laterally and forwardly thereof rather than radially.

The cup-shaped body 22 is of a depth greater than the depth of the rear or inner portion of the sealed beam units, including its terminals 16, and has integrally formed therewith an enlarged or thickened wall portion 44 in which are molded one or more recesses 46 which extend partially therethrough and whose diameter is preferably less than the diameter of the insulated wire leads 18 connected to the terminals 16.

The groove 26 is preferably provided with an enlargement at 48 adapted to receive projection 20 of the sealed beam lamp unit.

The lamp unit is installed in an opening in the vehicle frame or body panel 50, the diameter of said opening preferably slightly greater than the diameter of the base of the groove 36 in the mount to receive and retain the mount. To assemble the sealed beam unit in the body, insulated lead wires 18 are extended through the wall 22 of the mount at 44 by first piercing the wall 44 in line with recesses 46 to form the opening 46' of a diameter to insure a constrictive fit of the insulation of the leads 18 therein. The insulated leads 18 are then electrically connected to the sealed beam unit at the terminals 16. The body is then applied and pressed against the member 50 concentrically with the opening thereof, with the beveled edge 32 of the body bearing against the edge of the opening and deflecting the bead 34 to permit it to pass through the opening in the member 50, in a movement from right to left as viewed in FIG. 2, until the bead 34 snaps past the member 50 and bears against the outer face thereof, as illustrated at the bottom in FIG. 2. During this operation, the flange 40 and bead 42 will also be deflected to the right as viewed in FIG. 2. Thereupon the sealed beam unit 10 is applied to the mouth of the mount 22, being pressed against the beveled edge 30 and stretching and deflecting the lip 28 to permit the margin 14 of the lamp unit to seat in the groove 26. The depth of the cup-shaped mount 22 will preferably be suflicient to provide space for the lead conduits 18 between the terminals and the opening 46.

The fit of the grooved portion of the mount around the opening in the vehicle panel 50 constitutes the sole connection of the mount and the sealed beam lamp unit 10 with the vehicle insofar as positioning and support of the mount and the sealed beam lamp unit are concerned. The resilience of the elastomeric body cushions the sealed beam lamp unit 10 therein and avoids the presence of any stresses which might tend to injure or damage the sealed beam lamp unit. At the same time, the resilience of the body absorbs vibration during vehicle travel and protects the sealed beam unit from such vibration. The beaded offset concentric marginal lips 34 and 42 at the opposite sides of the groove of the enlargement 24 have firm abutment with the opposite faces of the mounting panel 50 which insures against any free play of the mounting member relatix e to the panel St). The constrictive fit of the grooved portion 26 of the mount around the flange 14 of the sealed beam unit insures against the passage of corrosive material or moisture in the cupshaped member for engagement with the terminals 16 of the sealed beam unit and bared parts of leads f8. Similarly, the engagement of the beads 34 and 42 continuously circumferentially against opposite faces of the member 50 prevents access of corrosive material to the part of the panel 50 encircled by said beads, and this prevents bonding of the mount to the panel 50. The constrictive fit of the insulated wires 18 in the passages 46, 46 insures against any corrosive material or moisture entering the cup 22 along the lead wires 18. This exclusion of corrosive elements insures prevention of corrosion or rusting of the metal parts or contacts and also insures against short circuiting because of electrical failure.

The clearance space existing within the cup-shaped mount 22 rearwardly of the sealed beam unit is of importance. Thus it will be noted that pressure applied at the lens 12 may move the sealed beam unit inwardly in the mount within said clearance space. If sufificiently severe, such pressure may cause the mount to be dislodged from its connection with the carrier panel. These actions can occur in many instances without injury to the sealed beam lamp unit 10 under conditions which ordinarily would result in breakage of such units. If the sealed beam unit is merely displaced within its mount, it will usually return to proper position upon release of pressure, and, if the mount is dislodged from the mounting panel 56, it may easily be remounted in panel 50. It will be observed that special tools are not required for remounting the unit nor for releasing the same. Thus, to replace a sealed beam unit application of pressure at the lens portion of the unit 12 toward the right as viewed in FIG. 2 will be suflicient to disengage the grooved marginal portion 26 of the mount from the mounting panel 50, whereupon the rubber body may be flexed to separate it from lamp unit 10. The flexibility of the rubber or other elastomeric material of which the mount is formed permits its deformation by hand to accomplish either mounting or demounting of the sealed beam unit relative to the elastic mount and mounting or demounting of the assembled lamp and body relative to panel 50.

The configuration of the groove 36 illustrated in FIG. 2, while preferred, is not essential and an alternate construction may be utilized, as illustrated in FIG. 3, which is characterized by an external groove 36 of dove-tailed cross-sectional shape in the enlarged portion 24 at the mount of the cup-shaped mount 22. In this construction, as in the construction illustrated in FIG. 2, the reduced width of the mouth of the circumferential outer groove 36 relative to the base thereof accommodates panels of a wide range of thicknesses.

The same advantages mentioned above can be secured in the mounting of lamps of other types than sealed beam lamp units, for example, those serving the purpose of a clearance light. It is common practice to position clearance lights around the margins of the ends of a truck or trailer so as to outline the size of the same for the benefit of passing cars at night and to determine clear-ance in door openings and under bridges. A construction constituting an embodiment of the invention, particularly adapted for such clearance lights, is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The mount has substantially the same construction as illustrated and described above, and similar parts thereof bear the same reference numerals. The groove 26 in this instance may be of slightly different shape which is determined by the shape and size of the marginal bead 60 of a lens 62 and the size and thickness of a panel 6 which are to be mounted in the groove 26, as seen in FIG. 3. The panel or plate 64 preferably constitutes a disk 66 formed of insulating material having adhered or otherwise secured to one face thereof in spaced relation a pair of conductor plates 68. The panel 64 has openings to receive one or more light sockets 70, said sockets preferably spanning conductor plates 68, as seen in FIG. 6, and preferably having electrical connection therewith. Electrical terminals 72 are carried by the panel at opposite conductor plates 68 and are provided for connection of lead wires (not shown) to energize the lamp sockets and the lamps 74 detachably mounted in said sockets in the manner well understood in the art. It will be understood that the lead wires (not shown) will pass through openings 46 and pierced holes 45' in the cup-shaped member 22, in the manner previously described.

The same seal, resilient mount, detachable support and other features which characterize mounting of the sealed beam unit, and resistance thereof to breakage incident to impact by virtue of either dislodgement of the mount or displacement of the lens and panel in the mount, are also secured in this embodiment of the invention.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes in the construction may be made within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A lamp mount adapted to be positioned in an opening of a support, comprising a cup-shaped body of resilient material and an electric lamp unit mounted in said body with clearance and including a marginal mounting portion larger than the inner dimension of said body and electric leads, said body having an internal circumferential groove extending therearound adjacent its open end for releasably and sealingly receiving the marginal mounting portion of said lamp unit, an external circumferential groove adjacent and substantially parallel to and substantially coplanar with said internal groove for releasably and seaiingly receiving the marginal portion of a support around an opening therein, and openings in the portion of said body outlined by said grooves and of smaller size than said electric leads to constrictively and sealingly receive said leads, said resilient body having a free edge of V-shape in cross-section projecting forwardly from said grooves and from the margin of the lens portion of said lamp unit to define inner and outer bevels, said inner bevel guiding said lamp unit into said inner groove, and said outer bevel guiding application of said body to interlock with said support at said outer groove.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,781,865 11/1930 Aniol 240-82 2,007,599 7/1935 Fogeal 240-7.1 2,201,044 5/1940 Langdon 24090 X 2,225,981 12/1940 Casson 24090 X 2,288,329 6/1942 Smith 189-78 2,781,443 2/1957 Cargle 240-90 X 2,806,940 9/1957 Worden 24090 X 2,860,233 11/1958 Johnson 2409O X 3,017,501 1/1962 Tantlinger 2408.3 3,067,974 12/1962 Baldwin 24090 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. 

